Sign



Oct. 16, 1934. g HSHER 1,976,844

SIGN

Filed Feb. 1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuento o Arthur C. Fisher w, mezg gw Oct. 16, 1934.

A.- C. FISHER SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1, 1932 Fig. 2

gwventoz Arthur C. Fisher 53, ZMW% gm attouwgv jlances.

A. feature of the invention resides in con-' structing the support elongated in form and flex- I Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED- Ass ATENT OFFICE,

My invention relates to signs and particularly to signs used for advertising and has for.its.

object to provide a sign of a highly spectacular nature.

An object of the invention resides in providinga sign having a pyrogeneous advertising disbe built and which will permit of the attach- A still further object of the invention resides play.

in providing a sign having a frame with a supthe configuration .of thedisplay.

Another. object of the invention resides in pro.-

viding igniting means for igniting all of the ible to conform to the configuration of the display. 7

Anobj'ect of the inventionresidesin.arrangingthe lances in groups and in providing separate quick matches for igniting the lances in.

each group and :in providinga slow match :be-

tween the: first named matches for procuring Ildelayedignition of ,one of the groups of lances.

.zOther objects .of. the invention reside in the details of construction thereof, and in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereirh.

Fig. :3v is a detail view illustrating the man-.-

nerLof attaching the lances to the supports.v

-In the presentation of advertising matterto the public a muchgreater impression is. made where the display is highly spectacular. The

present invention utilizes this principle by providing a display in which pyrotechnics are em-.

ployed..,

My invention comprises a sign which I: have indicated in its entirety at A in Figs. 1 and 2.: .This sign is constructed with a frame B consisting of two uprights 10 and 11 which areconriected-together at their upper and lower'ends through rails 12 and 13. All of these mem hers may be made moreor less ornamental and if desired ornamental caps 14., may be appliedto the upper ends of the uprights 10and 11..

Within the frame B is disposed a supporting structureC which consists of a number ofequal 1y spacedhorizontal lattice :bars 15 which are. .connected .togand carried ;by the uprights '10 a sign il1ustrat;

and .11. Extending across these bars are other vertical lattice. bars 16 which are secured to the rails 12 and 13 of frame B and which are also attached to the lattice bars 15. By means of this construction arigid and light supporting v structure is provided on which the display can ment of the support proper at suitable inter. vals throughout its extent.v In addition the supportingstructure is adaptable without alteration to anydesired arrangement of supports whichmay .be desired in the formation of :the

display. v V p p The display proper is shown in action in Fig.

: 2 and consists of groups of burning masses arranged to outline letters or any desired embellishments .to, be incorporated in the particular design depicted. In, the drawings the entire 1 display is designated by the reference character D. and theyarious letters forming the constituent parts thereof by reference numerals 17,..18,;19,20, 21, 22 and 23. These letters are arranged to describe the goods to be advertised, the trade-:mark, manufacturer or whatever other data, is-desired to be conveyed to the public. The. means for procuring these letters being identicaLnonly that used in forming letter 17 willr-be described in. detail.

In the construction of the display a piece of rattan,. or. a-soft pliable willow twig 24 is employed which. is arranged upon the supporting structure .0 at the proper locality and bentto simulate. theletter J. This piece of rattan I forms a support. and is nailed down to the supporting structure 0 ,wherever said support crosses either the horizontal lattice members 15 or the vertical lattice members 16 of said supporting structure. In like manner similar pieces of rattan are laid out and nailed to the sup q it' ing structure to conform to the other letters 13 to 23, said supports being arranged in. proper position on the supporting structure to correspond with the outline of the composite display. Intheapplication of these supports to the supporting (structure the pieces of rattan may be continuous for several letters, run beyond the confines of the letters where desirableto permit of attachmentto adjacent lattice barsand may cross each other or be otherwise arranged as found mostexpedient in the application of the same tcthe sign. I

At suitableintervals along the support 24 are attached to it a number of lances which may bejsecured thereto in any of a number of different Ways... These lances are constiuicted in accordance with the usual practice in pyrotechnics and are each provided with a tubular case 26 filled with a core 2'7 of a suitable combustible having in it a chemical adapted to color the flame produced in the combustion thereof. The simplest manner of attaching these lances to the support 24 consists in utilizing double pointed tacks 28 which extend into one end of the lance and are driven into the rattan strip constituting the supporting member. By means of these tacks the various lances may be mounted in proper position so that when the same are subsequently ignited the desired outline is portrayed in flame. It can readily be comprehended that clips or other similar attaching members may' be employed for securing the lances to these supports. Such construction being well known in the art has, however, not been disclosed in this application. In like manner, lances are attached to all of the other supports of the entire sign and confined to the particular portions thereof conforming to the letters or to the embellishments to be depicted. I

For the purpose of igniting the various lances ordinary matches such as employed in pyrotechnics may be utilized. These matches consist of.

a wick or cord chemically prepared to burn at a uniform rate and are preferably encased in a suitable paper case which increases the rate of propagation of the flame, causing the said match to burn almost instantaneously. In the particular sign'employed, two matchesindicated at 29 and 30 are employed, the match 29 serving to ignite the lances used in the word J. Doe and the match 30 operating to ignite the lance used in the word Gum. The match 29 is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and its manner of attachment to the lances is also illustrated. In this figure the treated cord or wick is indicated at 31, "and the paper case enclosing the same at 32. The match is attached to the ends of the various lances through short pins or nails 33 which extend through the paper case 32 and into the core 27 of the various lances. The match 29 commences with the letter J, the free end thereof being indicated at 34 and passes successively about the various lances 25, being at.- tached thereto as described.- The match 29 then continues over the upper part of the D and. passes around the curved portion thereof, loops to catch the period, comes back over the vertical part of theletter D, loops about the letter O and catches the vertical part of the letter E and the lower bar thereof. A branch match 35 is spliced to the match 29 and catches the other barsof the letter E. The match 30 in likemanner is attached to the various lances of the word Gum and passes successively along the letters G and U and takes in the two vertical parts and one of the inclined parts of the letter M. A branch match 36 similar to the match 35 takes in'the other bar of this letter. The two matches 29 and 30 are preferably of the rapid burning type such as known asquick matches and opentire sign to be instantaneously brought into action. However, delayed action of one or the other of the words may be had by inserting a slow burning match 37 between the two matches 29 and 30. Such matches may be readily procured by utilizing the chemically treated wick without a case, which causes the same to burn more slowly and produce a certain lapse of time between the firing of the two sections of the sign controlled through the matches 29 and 30. If it be desired that the word J. Doe be first fired, match 29 is lighted through the free end '34,thereof which causes a rapid ignition of the lances used in the formation of the word J. As soon as the slow burning match 37 has burned and the quick burning match 30 is reached, lances forming the word Gum are ignited which occurs at a time interval subsequent to that at which the lances of the word J. Doe were ignited. The various lances then continue to burn until all of the combustible material therein has been burned up.

In the construction of advertising signs in accordance with my invention any type of wording may be employed and the invention may be used to show trade-marks, the namesof manu- In the use of my invention the particular.-

design is laid out on the frame C as explained, using a strip of rattan or other suitable material. The lances are then applied to the same and the matches lastly attached thereto. is done any time in advance of the firing of the display which, of course, is preferably exhibited after dark. At the proper moment the de-.

sired match is ignited which causes the ignition of the various lances and the subsequent burst-- ing of the entire sign into flame to give the desired visual and spectacular effects.

During day time the frame B forms an attractive enclosure for the. supporting structure and the other parts carried thereby. During firing the said frame becomes illuminated through the fflames from the various lances which adds to the attractive appearance of the display and enhances the beauty of the same. This framework at the same time forms a support for the barsv Which are preferably con-.

structed relatively light thereby permitting of the erection of fairly large signs with extreme case and simplicity.

In the construction of my invention it can readily be comprehended that any suitable material may be used for the supports and that the lances may be attached to the same through any suitable clips or fastening means. Likewise any type of supporting structure may be employed and the supporting structure built insections on the ground and subsequently erected on the framework B after the formation of the same. structed in parts and assembled in positionat the site so that the. entire signmay be easily transported to thelocality of the erection.

Myinvention is highlyadvantageous in that This.

Likewise the framework B may be con-' roman an extremely spectacular and effective sign is produced whereby advertising matter may be readily impressed upon the minds of the observers. Any desired advertising data may be exhibited so that an endless variety of different signs may be readily had without appreciable change in construction and utilizing the same supporting structure. The sign may be used repeatedly for similar or diiferent signs and may be constructed at an economical cost.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A sign for exhibiting an advertising display comprising a supporting structure, a support thereon conforming to the configuration of the display, a plurality of lances carried by the support and following along the same, and means for igniting all of said lances.

2. A sign for exhibiting an advertising display comprising uprights, a frame extending between said uprights, elongated flexible supports carried by the frame and arranged to conform to the configuration of the display, a plurality of lances attached to said supports in spaced relation to one another and following along the same and a match connected to all of said lances.

3. A sign for exhibiting an advertising display comprising a supporting structure, a support thereon conforming to the configuration of the display, a plurality of lances carried by the support and following along the same, said lances being arranged in groups, means for igniting the lances of one of said groups, means for igniting the lances of another of said groups and timed means for propagating combustion between said igniting means to cause subsequent ignition of one of the groups of lances.

4. A sign for exhibiting an advertising display comprising a supporting structure, a support thereon conforming to the'configuration of the display, a plurality of lances carried by the support and following along the same, said lances being arranged in groups, a quick match for igniting the lances of one of said groups, a quick match for lighting the lances of another of said groups and a slow match connecting the two quick matches.

ARTHUR C. FISHER. 

